


what friends are for.

by cogito



Series: Emmbucks, the AU [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic, Gen, M/M, chrom is fricken dumb, emmbucks, gay everywhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 18:17:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/764485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cogito/pseuds/cogito
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Oh? Then I must insist, you must stay with us for the night." Libra's positively sparkling, "Have you had dinner yet? It is not well for you if you do not eat three square meals a day. You must have a place to sleep tonight as well, we would gladly offer our home to you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	what friends are for.

The first time Chrom pissed Robin off was sometime in their first year, towards Christmas Eve when Chrom suggested that Robin go back and see his Father. Chrom swears that Robin's normally maroon eyes flashed red with his anger. It was like Robin's aura was set to kill. As if he wanted to do nothing but lunge on Chrom that moment and tear his skin from his muscles.

Chrom stumbles backwards, "Robin- Hey- I'm sorry, alright? I won't mention it ag-"

He only hears the sharp inhale and a slow exhale as he imagines Robin must be counting up to ten to calm his nerves. Robin becomes still, unmoving like the foundations of a good home. Chrom ventures off his bed and places a hand gently on Robin's shoulder, only to be violently shaken off as soon as he touches fabric. Robin tugs at his shoulder, straightening his sleeve, and angrily stomps towards the door.

"Robin? Robin? Hey-"

Chrom doesn't finish his sentence as the door slams behind Robin. Robin _never_ slams the door.

"Oh gods," he whispers, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I've done it now......"

Chrom fishes out his cellphone, immediately sending his best friend a text message.

 

 

Ignoring the pinging of his phone and the vibrations itching against his thigh, Robin pulls his hood over his face in the cold December air. He should have been a little smarter than to come out in this ratty old thing. He doesn't even remember when he was wearing it. Was it Chrom's? He thinks that it is. It's more or less his now though, seeing as how he'd never seen Chrom wear it.

Thinking about Chrom makes him angry and it's frustrating. He thought that of all the people in the world, Chrom would know that- _God!_ How many times had he clearly _e-nun-ci-ated_ that seeing his Father, hell, _mentioning_ his Father was a huge No, and Chrom- Chrom still has the _nerve_ to do that even after being told so many times? For a rich kid, Chrom sure is stupid.

Robin kicks over a pebble lying unsuspectingly on the street and sends it flying into a nearby glass window where it bounces off with a plink. This is all so... ridiculous and needless. His 'daddy issues' weren't exactly an open topic.

He sighs, unsure of what to do now. It's cold, and the people on the streets are begining to thin out. He can still hear the jingling of a salvation army donation post though, and he finds himself wandering towards them. He drops a few coins in the collection jar and wanders off elsewhere, letting his feet carry him. Would Emm still have her cafe open at this time? Maybe he could drop in and get some coffee?

Nah, he thinks, it'll probably be a problem for her. Emm's good at reading minds, after all. He can't exactly go barging in saying that her brother had said something completely insensitive. So he detours, routing around the corner without a map.

"'Ey Bubbles- 'Ey! Ow- Libra you could stop n- I'm sure that's h-"

The voice comes from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. Robin turns on his heel, pivoting around to face the speaker. Gaius and Libra. He would smile, he usually smiles when speaking to everyone, but the situation with Chrom is still burning in his mind. He's not ready to let that go quite yet. Chrom needs to learn, he needs to simmer.

"Good evening, Robin." Libra's voice is relaxing, and Robin lets himself calm down just a tad, "What are you doing out here this late at night?"

"I-er- I was talking a walk?" Robin bites his tongue. What kind of answer is that?

"What kinda walk are you taking if you're not wearing a coat?" Gaius quips, already shrugging off his coat and placing it over Robin's shoulders. "Huh? Oh, I'll be fine, I'll just jog home after I lock up. Alright, now out with it. You and Blue have a fight?"

"I-"

Libra swiftly elbows his roommate, "Gaius, please."

"Sorry, Libra, but you know those uppity types. Blue's not exactly a model boyfriend." A beat, "So?"

"Ri..ght. We're not...dating, but it's..." Robin clears his throat, "Something like that, I guess."

"Oh? Then I must insist, you must stay with us for the night." Libra's positively sparkling, "Have you had dinner yet? It is not well for you if you do not eat three square meals a day. You must have a place to sleep tonight as well, we would gladly offer our home to you."

Robin glances downwards, considering this idea. It's a nice alternative, plus they offered so he doesn't have to embarassingly ask about a place to stay. "I'd hate to impose." He adusts Gaius' coat so it fits better over his shoulders. It's... quite comfortable, actually. It's nice and warm and much better than walking around in his cold hoodie.

"Nope, you're not imposing at all. It's not your job to put up with Blue for so long, hell, dunno how you did for so long. Gimme a sec, I'll catch up with you guys after locking up. Libra! You just messed up my hair, why'd you go and do that?

Libra releases Gaius's headband from his fingers, immediately changing the topic. "Yes! Please do join us, what would you like for late dinner, Robin? We could discuss our sleeping plans tonight after a good meal and a warm cup of coffee. Perhaps you could take a look at our expenses and suggest a good alternative for Gaius' addiction."

"'ts not an addiction, Libra! I can stop any time I want."

Robin snickers, settling into pace with Libra's steps, "Sure, I could do that."

"You don't hafta agree with him, Robin!"

 

 

 

"-As I was saying, I don't have a candy problem," Gaius complains as Libra pushes open the door to their condo. Robin only snickers some more as he drops the groceries on the counter. Gaius grumbles, dropping his own groceries on the table as well. "Take a seat," He pats the barstool by the counter, "I'll fry up some pasta in a sec. Emm's recipe okay with you?"

"Sure, sure. Thanks for taking me in."

"Ah, well, can't exactly leave you outside to freeze. What kind of friends would we be then?"

"Gaius is right. We insisted. Please make yourself comfortable." Libra says gently, taking the coat from Robin's shoulders. He then turns to Gaius, "Are you quite sure you'll be alright cooking tonight? I'm sure I could-"

Robin watches the two settle into routine, tuning out the bantering and instead watching the animated conversation. As the two busy themselves with cooking, Robin takes a sweeping glance around the condo. It's quite roomy. The kitchen is in the same room as the living room, but there is a balcony at the other end. Between the kitchen counter and the balcony, there's a nice plush couch in front of a decent sized TV, and intermittent candy wrappers thrown all over the floor.

The bathroom is tucked away in the corner of the junction between the two bedrooms and the living room. Overall, it's quite a comfortable living space, and the personalized feeling to it makes it feel like home. The living room is smaller than the room he shares with Chrom back at the university, but he supposes the privacy is the trade off. Robin's mind wanders back, to Chrom, to the room that he figures must be empty without him. It's a shared space, but it's lonely on nights when the other roommate isn't there.

He knows. Chrom's the one who goes home to see Lissa all the time, of course. Robin's not sure who he's more jealous of, Lissa for seeing Chrom all the time, or Chrom for having a loving family?

"Like it?" Gaius asks softly, stirring Robin from his thoughts again. A soft clack sound follows the sound of his voice, and Robin glances down to find the scent of pasta intoxicating. If he wasn't hungry, it'd be enough to make him hungry. The growl of his stomach makes Robin realize that he hadn't eaten dinner yet. He was going to go out with Chrom to Olive Garden but then, well, that happened.

"It's nice," Robin responds, neatly shoveling a forkful of pasta into his mouth.

"Gaius found it for us. I was surprised. I thought it was occupied." Libra offers.

"You locked me out of my bedroom after you found out it was. You thought I blackmailed the previous tenants." Gaius retorts, sounding a tad bitter in tone as he files the remaining pasta into tupperware, "Take this home and don't let Blue eat any of it."

"Your history isn't exactly clean. It was normal of me to doubt your sincerity."

"Alright," Robin chuckles lightly, leaning back into the barstool as he finishes the rest of the pasta. He hops off the stool, about to do the dishes, when Gaius shoves a cup of warm coffee into his hands.

"Guests don't do the dishes at my place. Just sit back and relax, like I said. 'Ey, Libra, the dishes are done, where's Robin gonna sleep tonight?"

"But Gaius-"

"Don't gimme that, you just sit there and drink your latte and talk about how crappy Blue is as a roommate. No one's judging you for it. Libra!"  
Robin cradles the cup between his hands, smiling to himself. He feels warm, and he's sure it's not the latte or the delicious pasta he just ate, or even the cute little puppy that Gaius sculpted into his cup out of coffe froth.

"Ah, why not your bed, Gaius? You could sleep on the couch for tonight," Libra says, already throwing pillows on the couch.

"Aw, why don't you sleep on the couch?"

A pregnant pause, Gaius even cowers back a little, but the art student's eyes light up, "A very good idea, Gaius! I shall sleep on the couch tonight and Robin can sleep in my bed."

"Cripes, Libra- I didn't mean it! I'll sleep on the couch tonight-" Gaius yells, snatching the pillow from Libra's arms and jumping on the cushions, "Really! It's fine! Robin, go ahead and take my bed."

Robin only stares as he finishes up his coffee, unsable to say anything. But he rinses the cup and leaves it on the counter for Libra or Gaius to shelf in the morning. He follows Libra into Gaius' bedroom and changes into a spare pair of Gaius' pajamas. It's been... interesting, at least, he thinks as he pulls blankets over himsel, glad to get a good night's sleep.

Yet there's something very uncomfortable about the bed that prevents him from doing just that. No matter how much he shifts and turns, he's unable to get comfortable. "What's wrong with this mattres..." he mutters, reaching down inbetween them and thumbing around until he's found the cause.

And finds it filled to the brim with candy.

"Robin?" Libra calls, knocking gently on the doors, "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Ah, Libra! There seems to be something wrong with Gaius' bed... Would you like to come take a look?"

"Certainly. It's very strange, I made sure Gaius cleaned his ro-"

Libra doesn't finish his sentence, and before long Robin hears Gaius' howling noises of pain. He doesn't remember sleeping that night.

 

 

 

The next day, at exactly 9:46pm, Robin returns to the dorm. He finds the door unlocked and knocks loudly on the door in the distinct way that he established with Chrom at the start of the year. The response is immediate. There's a thump from inside the room so loud it makes Robin jump, and then a yelp of pain that sounds an awful like Chrom. The door opens before long, however, and Chrom's appearance is disreveled, eyes red and ringed by dark circles.

"Oh gods, Robin, I thought something happened to you, you weren't answering my phone calls or my texts or-" Chrom rambles frantically, hands flying everywhere in the way he did when he was sufficiently freaked out. All of a sudden, he stops talking, and then meekly says, "You.. aren't... still mad at me, are you?"

Robin stares at the bruise forming on Chrom's forehead, snickers, and throws his arms around his best friend's neck and taking a deep inhale of Chrom's scent. Chrom's entire face turns red in a short, split second. He stumbles backwards before falling down into his pile of junk, slamming his head so hard into the desk behind him that Robin swears he got a concussion.


End file.
